It looks like Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) is carrying over the momentum from his double-digit win in November’s special election, as a PPP poll out today shows him leading three potential Republican challengers for reelection in 2012.
Manchin’s only reasonably close contest in the poll came against Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R), whom he led 50% to 41%. Against Rep. David McKinkley–who was just elected to his first term last year–Manchin posts a huge 29-point lead, 57% to 28%. John Raese, the Republican nominee who fell to Manchin in the midterms, also trailed by 29 points, 60% to 31%.
Manchin’s across-the-board domination in the poll is a reflection of his sterling approval rating. A popular former governor, Manchin posted a 52% approval rating, compared to a 32% disapproval rating in the poll.
Manchin is in a unique position in that he faces reelection just two years after entering the Senate. He won the November special election to serve the remainder the late Sen. Robert Byrd’s term, which ends in 2012.
Raese has rapidly fallen from favor in West Virginia. The 2010 Republican Senate nominee led in some polls taken just months before the midterms, but Manchin’s popularity coupled with some campaign flubs by Raese–most memorably, one of his campaign ads issued a casting call for “hicky” looking actors to portray state residents–quickly reversed that, and Raese ultimately lost by a 10.1-point margin. Now, only 30% of West Virginians say they have a favorable opinion of Raese, while 52% say they have an unfavorable opinion of him.
Yet Raese may still have the last laugh; if aliens ever invade Earth, we’ll all regret not heeding his proposal to build 1,000 space lasers.
The PPP poll was conducted January 20-23 among 1,105 registered voters. It has margin of error of 2.9%.
